Lingual tube for orthodontia



Oct. 10, 1950 A. B. BRussE 2,524,763

LINGUAL TUBE FOR ORTHODONTIA Filed April 16, 1945 ARCHIE B. BR USSE I NV EN TOR.

ATTORNEY an orthodontic bracket by an Patented Oct. 10, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an orthodontic appliance and more particularlyto a bracket for use with an arch wire and its method of manufacture.

One of the objects of this invention is to produce an improved bracketfor orthodontic use which is provided with an arch wire receiving tube.

Another object is to produce an improved orthodontic bracket which is soconstructed as to be provided with an arch wire receiving tube and bothend and lateral attaching flanges.

Still another object is to so construct a bracket of the kind referredto that the tube and both flanges can all be produced from a singlesheet of material by simple operations.

A further object of the invention is to so con struct a bracket having atube and attaching flanges that a plurality of such bracketscan be madefrom a single length of flat stock by cutting and deforming operationsand the resulting is particularly well adapted for attachment to a vtooth band on the lingual side. I

Another object of the invention is to. produce improved method ofmanufacture. I i 1 I i A still further object is to produce anorthodontic lingual tube from a single flat piece of stock by cuttingand bending opertion s.

Other objects will become apparent from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top View of a strip or series of connected orthodonticbrackets made, in accordance with my invention, from a single length offlat stock;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the strip shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of said strip; and

Figure 4 is a view of a bracket attached to a tooth band and being usedas a lingual tube to support and connect an arch'wire to the band.

Referring to the drawings in detail and first to Figures 1 to 3, thereis shown a series of brackets each of which embodies my invention.

Said figures also show the novel method by which the brackets are madeand-embodied in a strip as serially connected brackets ready fororthodontic use, said strip being generally indicated by the letter S.

The brackets are made from any suitable material such as, for example,stainless steel. The

' stock from which the brackets are to be made comprises a single sheetof the material, having a width W and any suitable length depending uponthe number of connected brackets desired to comprise the strip. Thestock of material used is shown in short and long dashed lines, asindicated by the numeral I. This stock is narrowed at longitudinallyspaced portions by removing material at opposite edges, said materialbeing that within the full and dashed lines and indicated by the numeral2. The spaced narrow portions so produced are each deformed to providearched portions indicated at A. At the time of arching thesenarrowedportiona or prior or subsequent thereto, a part of the materialforming each arched portion is pressed outwardly to provide a projection3 on one side of which is a flat shoulder facing in the direction of oneend of the arch.

The sheet of stock intermediate the arches is out in a transversedirection along the dashed lines indicated at 5 and 6 and longitudinallyalong the full parallel lines 7 and 8. The cutting along the lines 5, 6,land twill produce four sections 9 integral with each arch andconnecting links l0 between the arches. There will be a set of twosections 9 at each end of an arch with each set comprising sections oneach side of the arch, all as shown in Figure 1. Each section 9 has apart which projects beyond the end of an arch, theprojecting part beinindicated by the numeral II and hereinafter referred to as end attachingflanges for the completed bracket. The material 12 between sections 9 ofadjacent arches becomes waste material and is discarded.

The sections 9 associated with each arch are bent to positions wherethey will cause a closing of a major portion of the open side of thearch, thereby establishing a tubular body. The final position of thesections 9 is shown in full lines in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and when in thisfinal position the projections 0r flanges H 50 project beyond thetubular body that they will serve as attaching means for the tubularbody. When the sections 9 are bent to their final position they will liein substantially the same plane as the original rear surface of thesheet of stock, as best shown in Figure 3. To complete the strip ofbrackets the connecting links H] are each provided with two transversescores l3 and I4 and by these scores there will be established from thelinks lateral flanges 15 and I5 for each arch which flanges extend fromopposite sides of the tubular body portion. Such lateral attachingflanges will be at right angles to the attaching flanges ll extendingfrom the ends of the tubular body and will also be in the same plane assaid latter flanges.

From the operations above described it is seen that there will beproduced a series of connected brackets, generally indicated by theletter B. These brackets are now ready for orthodontic use. An exampleof one orthodontic use of the brackets is shown in Figure 4 where it isemployed as a lingual bracket for supporting and attaching an arch wireI! to a tooth band Hi. In attaching the bracket B to the tooth band thestrip S embodying the series of brackets will be held at one end and thebracket at the other end positioned on the band so that the axis of thetubular body of the bracket will be parallel to the aXis of the toothband. The bracket will also have such a position that the shoulder 4 ofthe projection 3 on the outer surface of the arched portion A will facein the direction of the tissue edge of the band when said band ispositioned on a tooth. With the bracket B so positioned with respect tothe band it is secured to the band by welding the attaching flanges,comprising the end flanges H and the lateral flanges l5 and 16, to theband surface. At least four of the six flangesshould be welded,including both lateral flanges. It may not be necessary to weld all ofthe end flanges to the band in order to get sufficient holding strength.One flange l I at one end of the bracket and a diagonally oppositeflange at the other end probably will be a sufficient number of theseflanges to be welded. However, if desired, all of the flanges I may bewelded to the band.

When the bracket B is fastened to the tooth band one end of the archwire IT, for example, may be supported thereby and connected thereto inthe manner shown. The arch wire is provided with a loop 19 adjacent oneend and this loop I9 is then forced into th passage or cavity of thetubular body of the bracket with a light functional grip. The short endof the arch wire is then turned back upon itself and to a position tolie beneath and engage the shoulder 4. Preferably the turned end is suchthat it can be snapped into position. With such cooperation with theshoulder, the loop IQ of the arch wire will be firmly held from becomingremoved from the passage or cavity, the projection, together with theend of the Wire, acting as a lock. The end of the wire cooperating withthe shoulder will also be held in a definite position and thus be keptaway from the tissue at the base of the tooth.

From the foregoing it is seen that I have constructed a bracket fororthodontic use that is simply constructed and so formed with attachingflanges that it can be very firmly and easily welded to a tooth band.The tubular body portion and all the attaching flanges are made from 4 asingle sheet of stock. The method of making permits a strip of seriallyconnected brackets to be constructed, thus facilitating handling andattaching.

Being aware of the possibility of modifications in the particularbracket structure disclosed and the method of manufacture I do notintend that the scope of my invention be limited in any manner except inaccordanc with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An orthodontic bracket for supporting one end of an arch wire, saidbracket comprising a lingual tube adapted to be attached to a band on atooth in such a position that the lengthwise axis of the tube issubstantially parallel to the lengthwise axis of the tooth by which itis supported, the walls of said tube forming an inner socket portioninto which the loop of an arch wire may be inserted, one portion of saidtube having a shouldered member on its exterior surface intermediate theends thereof against which the free end of an arch wire, when folded andmoved into abutting relation, may be held under tension to preventremoval of the looped portion from the socket, and flange means forsecuring said bracket to a tooth band, said means being secured to saidtube at a portion thereof opposite said first-recited portion.

2. An orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, wherein the shoulderedmember is substantially spaced from the lower end of the tube.

3. An orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, wherein the shoulderedmember is disposed approximately midway between the ends of the tube.

4. An orthodontic bracket for supporting one end of an arch wire, saidbracket comprising a lingual tube adapted to be attached to a band on atooth in such a position that'the lengthwise axis of the tube issubstantially parallel to the lengthwise axis of the tooth by which itis supported, the walls of said tube forming an inner socket portioninto which the loop of an arch wire may be inserted, said tube having ashouldered member on its exterior surface intermediate the ends thereofagainst which the free end of an arch wire, when folded and moved intoabutting relation, may be held under tension to prevent removal of thelooped portion from the socket, and flange means for securing saidbracket to a tooth band.

ARCHIE B. BRUSSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,304,721 Young May 27, 19191,764,067 Craigo June 17, 1930 1,821,171 Atkinson Sept. 1, 19312,196,515 Atkinson Apr. 9, 1940 2,196,516 Atkinson Apr. 9, 19402,257,069 Peak Sept. 23, 1941 2,259,160 Glaser Oct. 14,1941 2,265,420Brusse et al Dec. 9, 1941

